Shaheen and Hassan Hold Press Conference to Raise Awareness of Health Insurance Open Enrollment Period

October 30, 2017

(Manchester, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) held a press conference at Manchester Community Health Center to highlight the health insurance open enrollment period, which runs from November 1st through December 15th. While legislative efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have repeatedly failed, the Trump administration has accelerated attempts to sabotage the ACA, which includes ending cost-sharing reduction payments that help low and middle-income families afford insurance, repealing the birth control mandate, cutting the open enrollment period in half and shutting down the sign-up website for 12 hours nearly every Sunday of the enrollment period.

“The Trump administration has been actively sabotaging the Affordable Care Act and disrupting healthcare marketplaces. Because of the administration’s attempts to undermine the law, it’s up to each of us to get the word out to family members and friends that the enrollment period begins on November 1st – in just 2 days,” saidSenator Shaheen. “I’ll continue to support bipartisan measures to restore funding for enrollment ads and outreach, lower premiums, and strengthen key elements of the law. In the meantime, every Granite Stater can also play a role by helping us spread the word to our friends and neighbors that quality health coverage under the ACA is available to all who need it.”

“It is essential that Granite Staters know their options to take advantage of the open enrollment period from November 1 through December 15 and get the health and economic security that quality, affordable health insurance offers,” Senator Hassan said. “While the Trump Administration is slashing funding for advertising and in-person assistance, I will continue working to make sure that Granite Staters have the information they need to help find the plan that’s best for them. I will also keep working with Senator Shaheen and my colleagues from both parties to pass bipartisan legislation to help stabilize the markets and lower health care costs for hard-working Americans.”

Senators Shaheen and Hassan have consistently advocated for immediate action to stabilize state marketplaces and lower premiums for Granite Staters and Americans across the country. Senator Shaheen has led efforts in the Senate to provide marketplace stability by permanently continuing and increasing eligibility for cost-sharing reduction payments. Her bill, the Marketplace Certainty Act, which Senator Hassan cosponsored, would make cost-sharing reduction payments permanent and expand eligibility to more working Americans. Senators Shaheen and Hassan also helped introduce the Individual Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Act to create a permanent reinsurance program for the individual health insurance market, similar to the successful programs used to lower premiums and spur competition in the Medicare Part D program. And earlier this month, Shaheen and Hassan joined a bipartisan group of 24 senators in support of the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act of 2017, which would lower premiums and improve quality of care for patients and families across the nation.